ColorSense 🎨

Detect dominant RGB colors in real-time using a TCS3200 sensor and Arduino Nano with live LED feedback.

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📖 Overview

ColorSense is a compact embedded color detection system that uses the TCS3200 photodiode array to read the red, green, and blue light components of any surface placed beneath it. The Arduino Nano orchestrates photodiode filter selection, measures pulse-width frequency output, identifies the dominant channel, and illuminates a corresponding RGB indicator LED — all while streaming live readings to the Serial Monitor.

Roadmap: v1.0 Wired · v2.0 I2C Display · v3.0 Bluetooth · v4.0 Gesture + ML Classification

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✨ Features

v1.0 | Current Release

• Real-time RGB frequency capture via TCS3200 photodiode array
• Dominant color detection by comparing R, G, and B pulse-width readings
• Visual feedback: dedicated red, green, and blue indicator LEDs
• 20% frequency scaling for stable, readable output
• Serial Monitor streaming at 9600 baud for live debugging
• 10 ms inter-channel settling delay for clean, artifact-free readings
• Arduino Nano based: compact, low-cost, and universally available

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🔩 Hardware

Component	Purpose
Arduino Nano	Controls sensor filters, reads frequency output, drives LEDs
TCS3200 Color Sensor Module	Converts reflected RGB light into measurable pulse frequencies
Red LED	Lights when red channel is dominant
Green LED	Lights when green channel is dominant
Blue LED	Lights when blue channel is dominant
Resistors (220 Ω)	Current limiting for each indicator LED

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💻 Software

Dependency	Version	Purpose
Arduino IDE	1.8+ / 2.x	Sketch compilation and upload
Arduino AVR Boards	Latest	Nano board support package

No external libraries are required. The sketch uses only built-in Arduino functions (digitalWrite, pulseIn, Serial).

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📁 Project Structure

ColorSense/
|
+-- ColorSense.ino    # Arduino sketch: sensor control, color detection, LED feedback
+-- Pic.PNG           # Project hardware photo 1
+-- Pic2.jpeg         # Project hardware photo 2
+-- README.md
+-- LICENSE
+-- .gitignore

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🔌 Arduino Sketch

File: ColorSense.ino

Configures the TCS3200 sensor at 20% frequency scaling, cycles through red, green, and blue photodiode filters using S2/S3 pin pairs, measures each channel's pulse width via pulseIn, compares the three readings to identify the dominant color, and toggles the matching indicator LED. Raw R/G/B values are printed to the Serial Monitor every 100 ms.

// RGB Color Detection using TCS3200 Color Sensor and Arduino Nano
// Detects dominant RGB color and lights corresponding LED

#define S0 4          // Frequency scaling pin
#define S1 5          // Frequency scaling pin
#define S2 6          // Color filter selection pin
#define S3 7          // Color filter selection pin
#define OUT_PIN 8     // Sensor frequency output

#define RED_LED   9   // Red indicator LED
#define GREEN_LED 10  // Green indicator LED
#define BLUE_LED  11  // Blue indicator LED

int redValue;
int greenValue;
int blueValue;

void setup() {
  pinMode(S0, OUTPUT);  pinMode(S1, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(S2, OUTPUT);  pinMode(S3, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(OUT_PIN, INPUT);
  pinMode(RED_LED, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(GREEN_LED, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(BLUE_LED, OUTPUT);

  digitalWrite(S0, HIGH);   // Set frequency scaling to 20%
  digitalWrite(S1, LOW);

  Serial.begin(9600);

  digitalWrite(RED_LED, LOW);
  digitalWrite(GREEN_LED, LOW);
  digitalWrite(BLUE_LED, LOW);
}

int readRed()   { digitalWrite(S2, LOW);  digitalWrite(S3, LOW);  delay(10); return pulseIn(OUT_PIN, LOW); }
int readGreen() { digitalWrite(S2, HIGH); digitalWrite(S3, HIGH); delay(10); return pulseIn(OUT_PIN, LOW); }
int readBlue()  { digitalWrite(S2, LOW);  digitalWrite(S3, HIGH); delay(10); return pulseIn(OUT_PIN, LOW); }

void loop() {
  redValue   = readRed();
  greenValue = readGreen();
  blueValue  = readBlue();

  Serial.print("R="); Serial.print(redValue);
  Serial.print(" G="); Serial.print(greenValue);
  Serial.print(" B="); Serial.println(blueValue);

  if      (redValue   < greenValue && redValue   < blueValue)  { digitalWrite(RED_LED,   HIGH); digitalWrite(GREEN_LED, LOW);  digitalWrite(BLUE_LED,  LOW);  }
  else if (greenValue < redValue   && greenValue < blueValue)  { digitalWrite(RED_LED,   LOW);  digitalWrite(GREEN_LED, HIGH); digitalWrite(BLUE_LED,  LOW);  }
  else if (blueValue  < redValue   && blueValue  < greenValue) { digitalWrite(RED_LED,   LOW);  digitalWrite(GREEN_LED, LOW);  digitalWrite(BLUE_LED,  HIGH); }

  delay(100);
}

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🔗 Circuit Connections

Signal	Arduino Nano Pin	TCS3200 / LED Pin	Notes
S0	D4	S0	Frequency scaling (HIGH)
S1	D5	S1	Frequency scaling (LOW → 20%)
S2	D6	S2	Filter select bit 0
S3	D7	S3	Filter select bit 1
OUT	D8	OUT	Frequency signal from sensor
Red LED	D9	LED anode via 220 Ω	Red dominant indicator
Green LED	D10	LED anode via 220 Ω	Green dominant indicator
Blue LED	D11	LED anode via 220 Ω	Blue dominant indicator
VCC	5V	VCC	Power supply
GND	GND	GND	Common ground

Tip: Hold the sensor 5–10 mm above the target surface in a shaded environment for most accurate readings. Ambient light interference will skew the raw frequency values.

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⚙️ Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/MohammadFayasKhan/ColorSense.git
cd ColorSense

2. Open in Arduino IDE

File → Open → ColorSense.ino

3. Select board and port

Tools → Board → Arduino Nano
Tools → Processor → ATmega328P (Old Bootloader)   ← if upload fails, try this
Tools → Port → /dev/cu.usbserial-XXXX  (macOS) | COM# (Windows)

4. Upload the sketch

Sketch → Upload   (Ctrl + U / Cmd + U)

5. Open Serial Monitor to verify

Tools → Serial Monitor → 9600 baud

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🚀 Usage

1. Wire all components per the Circuit Connections table above.
2. Upload ColorSense.ino to the Arduino Nano.
3. Open the Serial Monitor at 9600 baud.
4. Place a colored object directly beneath the TCS3200 sensor.
5. Observe live output:

R=42 G=110 B=98     → Red LED lights   (smallest R value = most reflected red)
R=120 G=38 B=95     → Green LED lights
R=115 G=102 B=31    → Blue LED lights

Note: On the TCS3200 a lower pulse-width value means higher reflectance for that channel. The sketch correctly identifies the dominant color as whichever channel has the smallest reading.

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🧠 How It Works

TCS3200 Frequency Output The TCS3200 contains an 8×8 array of photodiodes — 16 red-filtered, 16 green-filtered, 16 blue-filtered, and 16 clear. The S2/S3 pin pair selects which filter group is active. The sensor then converts the photodiode current from that group into a square wave whose frequency is proportional to light intensity. pulseIn(OUT_PIN, LOW) measures the pulse width in microseconds; a shorter pulse means higher frequency, which means higher reflectance for that color channel.

Frequency Scaling Pins S0 and S1 control output frequency scaling (2%, 20%, 100%). This sketch uses 20% (S0=HIGH, S1=LOW) to keep the output frequency within the range that pulseIn can reliably measure on a Nano running at 16 MHz.

Dominant Color Logic After all three channels are captured, the sketch compares the three raw values. The channel with the lowest pulse-width value is the dominant color, because a lower value means the sensor is detecting more reflected light in that wavelength band. The corresponding LED is turned on and the other two are turned off.

Serial Streaming Every loop iteration, the raw R, G, and B values are printed as R=xx G=xx B=xx to the serial port at 9600 baud, enabling real-time monitoring, logging, and future integration with a host-side application.

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📦 Roadmap

Version	Edition	Status	Highlight
v1.0	Wired	✅ Released	TCS3200 sensor · LED feedback · Serial streaming
v2.0	I2C Display	🔜 Planned	OLED / LCD showing hex color code
v3.0	Bluetooth	🔜 Planned	Wireless color data to smartphone
v4.0	ML Classify	🔜 Planned	On-device color name classification

Progression: v1.0 Wired → v2.0 I2C Display → v3.0 Bluetooth → v4.0 ML Classify

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🖼️ Screenshots

Hardware Assembly Arduino Nano + TCS3200 + RGB LEDs wired and ready

Sensor Close-up TCS3200 module positioned over test surface

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🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/your-feature
3. Commit your changes: git commit -m 'feat: description'
4. Push and open a Pull Request

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📄 License

MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

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👤 Author

Mohammad Fayas Khan

GitHub → MohammadFayasKhan

Built for learning, experimentation, and embedded systems exploration.